Nightfall

The night wore on and only some clip-clop sounds could be heard. Ning Que and Sangsang walked down the mountain. Trees became lusher along their way. The moonlight scattered dimly on them.

Sangsang said, “I used to think that she was one of the most courageous human beings and would have kept you there. Surprisingly, she let you run away.”

Ning Que found her words awkward and said, “I know you wanted me to stay. Otherwise you wouldn’t have told her those things earlier on.”

Sangsang said, “I don’t have a preference.”

Ning Que stopped and threw the rein on the back of the big black horse. He stared at her silently and continued after a long pause, “I think you are a bit afraid of me now.”

Sangsang squinted her arched bright eyes and replied, “I think you are sick.”

Ning Que wondered and asked, “Are you becoming afraid?”

Sangsang replied emotionlessly, “You menial human beings…”

Ning Que waved to stop her and said, “Even if you were to repeat that sentence thirty thousand times, it’s not going to change the fact that you are becoming afraid of me, of being kept in the human world because of me.”

Sangsang thought for a while and said, “I’m upset.”

Ning Que thought she was saying that his confidence upsetting her, and tried to explain, “It doesn’t mean that I’m stronger than you. It just shows that you can now see that I care about you.”

Sangsang stared at a spot his face and did not say a thing.

Ning Que then understood what she meant and felt embarrassed. He thought, Why weren’t you mad at me previously when you saw it? What’s the point of being sarcastic now? Don’t you know that it is annoying?

Even though he had such a complaint, he did not dare to speak it aloud. Even if Sangsang could read his mind, it was after all different between thinking of stealing and acting on it.

There was a limpid stream by the trail. He squatted by the stream and washed his face very carefully, especially the spot where Shanshan kissed until this face became irritated and red.

Ning Que went back to her, pointed at his flushing face and said, “Now are you satisfied?”

Sangsang frowned and shook her head. Apparently she was still upset.

Ning Que said helplessly, “It would peel my skin off if I keep on washing it.”

Sangsang’s arched eyes brightened up at his words. It reminded her of a very good idea. Suddenly some chilling wind blew on the trail and swept by his cheek.

Ning Que shouted out in pain. Covering his cheek, he was shocked and could not believe what just happened.

No blood came out from between his fingers. Because Sangsang was so quick. The moment his cheek was swept by the wind, she had his wound healed immediately.

Ning Que could not feel any wound or blood on his cheek, but he knew clearly what happened just now because of the pain and fear that remained.

“You crazy woman!” He could not stand any longer and shouted at her, “You wicked woman! I am your man! Not some piece of meat for barbecue!”

Sangsang did not have first hand experience of pain but only knew it from data and analysis. She thought Ning Que would have been used to it after rounds of slow slicing in the Divine Hall of Light and the Secluded Pavilion. It was surprising for her to see him reacting so dramatically.

She would never know how humiliating that could be for a man. Moreover, it reminded Ning Que of the most humiliating cut that was still unhealed. Most importantly, previously in the Divine Halls of West-Hill they were fatal enemies. But now their relationship was slightly changing.

That was why Ning Que was so angry.

Sangsang could not understand why but she knew that Ning Que was seriously angry. After a short pause she said, “Next time I will give you a heads-up.”

To inform him before cutting his flesh, it would have sounded absurd for others. They would have thought that Sangsang was just making fun of Ning Que.

However, Ning Que knew that it was not a joke. For Haotian, it was exceptionally merciful if she would inform you before doing something. It could even mean that she was sorry.

Haotian would never apologize to human beings. Even if she were to feel that it was inappropriate, she would not admit it. Ning Que found some comfort in such reasoning then despised himself for being so degraded.

“There better not be a next time,” he said.

Sangsang did not reply and kept walking down, still holding her hands behind her back.

The big black horse glanced at Ning Que with contempt and followed Sangsang, trucklingly down.

Ning Que felt embarrassed. He paced up to her and said earnestly, “There’s no point in wasting your Divine Power on such things like cutting my flesh and having it grow back.”

Sangsang replied, “I found it interesting.”

Ning Que rebuked, “Yours is mine. Your Divine Power is my Divine Power. Who knows where we would need it in the future? How could you lavish like this? You covetous woman!”

Sangsang stopped and turned to him. “You want to try that again?”

Upon these words. Ning Que found her to be like the arbitrary fellows in Chang’an who would go into a fight because of nonsense. Therefore he said again with sincerity, “I said, as you wish.”

When they arrived at the outskirt of Jingdu, the darkness retreated and dawn arose. The houses with black eaves inside the city looked charming in dim lights, but the numerous torches had added quite some tension to it.

The emperor was forced to give up his throne and two thousand cavalrymen from the Divine Halls of West Hill were crossing the river and coming toward the Great River Kingdom. Some unprecedented storm was about to take place. No one could have had a good sleep tonight.

Before they left Mogan Mountain, Ning Que had talked this through with Mo Shanshan. He knew that the storm and chaos would be over tomorrow, but he still had a question.

“You must have known that Shanshan would become the next governor. However, I don’t understand why you insisted on me taking over the throne as a transition. What was the point?”

“There’s no point, but it’s interesting.”

Mystifyingly Sangsang had been very fond of the ideas of being significant and being interesting lately. It seemed she was trying to scorn on the Academy’s philosophy of life.

“Such as?”

Sangsang said, “Our neighbor Old Wu and his wife used to say such things.”

Ning Que shook his head, “They quarreled everyday. How could I remember what they’ve said?”

Sangsang said, “That woman said Old Wu could never take a concubine unless he became an emperor.”

Ning Que recalled that but found it ridiculous. “Just for that reason you wanted me to be an emperor, even just for one night?”

Sangsang said, “An overnight emperor is still an emperor.”

Ning Que found himself almost speechless. “You are indeed a nosy Haotian.”

Sangsang ignored his mockery and continued, “You said I owed to a lot of people so that I could not cut my bond with the human world. This couple is one of those you mentioned.”

Ning Que wondered. “So you were trying to pay them back?”

Sangsang concurred. “Correct. Now I have paid back Old Wu.”

Ning Que questioned, “In that case, don’t you owe Aunt Wu even more?”

Sangsang thought for a while and found that reasonable, and said, “I will find a way to pay her back later.”

Ning Que asked, “How? To grant her immortality? Be careful not to scare her to death! Immortality… I do wonder what you are thinking about.”

Sangsang did not get mad and said, “You menial human beings would never know what I am thinking about.”

Ning Que was annoyed and said, “You see, every time you don’t know how to answer my question you throw that word at me. Can’t you think of anything different?”

Sangsang replied calmly, “You hangdog.”

Ning Que could not argue with her and continued walking to the east depressedly.

Sangsang followed him and asked, “Why are you upset?”

Ning Que replied without turning back to her, “You forced the former emperor to give up his throne just to let Old Wu get a concubine. You owe me a lot too. How about you think of a way to let me take a concubine as well?”

Sangsang replied, “Because I don’t want to. Then don’t you dare even think about it.”

He kept chatting with Sangsang and walked further away from Jingdu. Time passed by and rays of dawn became brighter. Eventually the morning sun flamed above the horizon.

There was a breakfast stall by the trail. The stall keeper had no idea of what had happened inside Jingdu. Despite the anxious preparations for war in the Great River Kingdom, he continued to boil water and prepare the noodle as he always did.

Sangsang stopped by his stall and ordered, “One bowl of noodle please.”

Ning Que joined her and said, “Two please.” He looked at the rising sun in the east and said, “Doesn’t it look like a salted egg yolk?”

The stall keeper had some sense of humor and relied, “We don’t have salted egg yolks, but we do have fried eggs.”

Ning Que was lost in his thoughts for a second upon hearing about the fried egg.

Sangsang said, “We’d like one on each bowl.”

In the rosy glory of the morning sun, the two of them squatted by a willow next to the trail and started eating their fried egg noodle soup. Ning Que had been hungry for a while so he ate aloud with no manners at all.

Sangsang ate silently but no slower than Ning Que.

She was still expressionless, but Ning Que knew that she was happy. Ever since they had left the Divine Halls, Sangsang laughed occasionally but kept expressionless most of the time. Yet he had learned how to notice her emotions by other indicators, such as how fast she ate or drank, or how she looked at the marshmallows.

Ning Que finished his noodle soup and left the fried egg in the bowl.

Ever since he was a child, he would finish his noodle soup before the egg. That was because they had went through many years of poverty.

He picked up the fried egg. Instead of placing it into his own mouth, he put it into Sangsang’s bowl.

Sangsang glanced at him and ate it without saying anything.

Ever since she was a child, he would save the best foods for her. She was used to it.

The big black horse stood beside them and chewed on the flowers in the morning glory. He sucked out the juice and spat out the dregs. He seemed clear and bright, even a bit transcendent.

In actuality, he was feeling really low because it had been days since he had noodle soup or his favourite yellow fruits. What most annoying to him was that it seemed Ning Que and Sangsang had completely forgotten him.

He resented and thought, Keep showing off, you love birds. Your trouble will come soon!

The big black horse did not know that he was a prophet regarding this.

Leaving Jingdu, they walked along the road for more than half a day. Suddenly, roaring dust were kicked up from afar and the earth started quaking. Numerous cavalrymen in black armor spurted out of the dust overwhelmingly.

Two thousand cavalrymen from the Divine Halls had crossed the river, broke through the North Prefecture and finally arrived.

Ning Que frowned and felt slightly annoyed by these travel-stained cavalrymen of the Divine Halls.

Since he and Sangsang jumped into the abyss and left Peach Mountain, the Divine Halls had been keeping the secret from the world. Even the Sage of Calligraphy had no idea of this previously.

If the world knew that Haotian had left West Hill, how could Taoism maintain their fame?

In the meantime, West Hill had been constantly tracking Sangsang and trying to escort her back to the Divine Halls.

Ning Que and Sangsang did not disguise themselves along the way. Therefore it was not difficult for West Hill to locate them.

In order to keep the secret as well as to respect Haotian’s plan, West Hill only sent out two thousands of cavalrymen to follow them from a distance. After Ning Que and Sangsang had visited the imperial palace of the Great River Kingdom and unveiled Haotian’s Divine Manifestation, it was no longer necessary for them to keep the secret. The Divine Halls had to take actions.

Two thousand cavalrymen traveled day and night, crossed the river and finally came to Ning Que and Sangsang.

The dust fell down. The cavalrymen had stopped a few miles away and did not dare to come closer.

Someone rode in from the dust in the dusk. Perhaps he wanted to greet Haotian but they could not figure out who that was.

Ning Que glanced at Sangsang and was worried.

He worried that she would choose to go back to West Hill with the cavalrymen.

It was just like how she was worried that he would stay at the Ink Fountain.

Sangsang looked at those pious human beings and talked to him after a while. “Is there any other place you want to go?”

Ning Que thought for a while and asked, “Where do you want to go?”

Sangsang said, “I want to see the sea.”

They turned south because the sea was in the south.

There was an uproar among the cavalrymen. The person who was slowly riding had stopped. It appeared that the person was dressed in red.

After a short while, the cavalrymen also proceeded south.

Among the fields of the Great River Kingdom, thick dust were kicked up and clip-clop sounds resounded endlessly.

The cavalrymen seemed quiet but firm. They did not care about whether or not the Great River Kingdom would send some troops to intercept or attack.

They seemed quiet yet humble. They followed the group of two and a horse from a distance of several miles. They did not dare to come closer or go away.

This scene in the fields of the Great River Kingdom was awe-inspiring as well as peculiar. Roaring dust followed the lofty figure under the setting sun. Where were they going?

Ning Que and Sangsang went to the sea.

The sea in the south was different from the fierce sea in the Song Kingdom. It was tranquil.

Tender breeze blew above the sea. Up in the sky, clouds of various shapes and slight waves reflected various levels of blue on the sea.

The big black horse rushed into the deep blue sea and neighed with joy.

Ning Que and Sangsang walked to the beach and watched the tranquil sea.

A storm was coming from the sea.

…